Mark Whitehead 28 November 2018

Council chief says on YouTube: 'I'm sorry about bin chaos'

A council leader has gone online to apologise to residents over chaos caused by a reorganisation of bin collections.

Richard Cornelius, leader of Barnet Council in north London, said in a YouTube video: 'I would like to apologise to the people who have been inconvenienced in the borough'.

He said the council had now 'turned a corner' and was working hard to fix the problems.

It follows complaints that some residents had not had a collection since the beginning of November when crews were allocated new routes.

One resident in the Tory-run borough which has hit the headlines over its radical privatisation initiatives, said online: 'Roads have been clogged in rush hour by bin lorries, pavements littered with wheelie bins left out and overflowing.'

In the video Cllr Cornelius says: 'We’re working to get it right and I believe we have turned a corner and that we will start to start to see an improvement in the service this week.

'We had to do this because it's not been done for many, many years and it's simply become unfair in the way the work was allocated between various crews.

'We make 359,000 collections of bins every week, it's a huge number, but even a small percentage can have a huge impact on people.

'We're working hard to get it right and I believe we've turned a corner now.'

Banning urban pesticide use image

Banning urban pesticide use

RSPB and PAN are working on a letter from local councillors calling on the Government to introduce a national ban on urban pesticide use. Find out more below.
SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

School Crossing Patrol Officer - St Martins School

Essex County Council
Up to £12.10 per hour
School Crossing Patrol Officer - St Martins SchoolPermanent, Part Time£12.10 per hourLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Tutor & Holistic Educator - Lapwing Education (Term Time Only)

Essex County Council
£23438 - £37861 per annum
Are you an outstanding teacher? Are you looking for a different challenge outside the classroom? Are you searching for an organisation which believes England, Essex, Chelmsford
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

City of York Council
Grade [11] Level 1- 4 (£47,760 to £54,463 per annum)
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced social worker to join City of York York, North Yorkshire
Recuriter: City of York Council

Social Care Assessor - Complex Care Team

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£38,364 - £40,833
Strength in people. Strength in communities. Strength in diversity. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Housing Inclusion Project Coordinator

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£39,951 - £42,840
An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Performance & Development team Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich
Linkedin Banner

Partner Content

Circular highways is a necessity not an aspiration – and it’s within our grasp

Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.

Support from Effective Energy Group for Local Authorities to Deliver £430m Sustainable Warmth Funded Energy Efficiency Projects

Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.

Pay.UK – the next step in Bacs’ evolution

Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.